Have been inhabiting the “Beau Monde” world of the 1790s, and am thoroughly enjoying myself! After having my internet connect down for a week (severe withdrawal symptoms…), I’m now able to cast about for information on one name that turned up: Lady Jersey.

There are several ‘depictions’ of the notorious lover of the Prince of Wales, who evidently honored the lady with his attentions for nearly a decade (1793-1799), at the National Portrait Gallery – by Gillray. “A Lady putting on her cap” (detail above) was published in June 1795. The British Museum gives a nicely-minute description of the scene and some of the “symbolism”. A (short) discussion of the print occurs in the 1848 book England Under the House of Hanover (vol 2).

MY interest in Lady Jersey (née Frances Twysden; AKA Frances Villiers) comes from a letter, which indicates that the Prince of Wales pressed to have Mrs Drummond Smith invite Lady Jersey to one of her soirées in 1797. The hostess was not interested. Oh! for more Smith & Gosling tales along that line!

For inquiring minds, I include two blogs that make mention of Lady Jersey:

Kildare alerted me to a useful — and highly praising — review of the book I have recommended to several contacts and friends:

Hannah Greig’s The Beau Monde describes a world in which the Smiths and Goslings participated, if on a slightly less-central level than someone like the glittering Duchess of Devonshire…

It has dawned on me, while reading, that the parent generation was more among the “movers and shakers” than the child generation. Routs, card parties, soirées – held for hundreds of guests – was the norm for the Hon. Charlotte Gosling at No. 5 Portland Place during the Regency years. Her two step-daughters, Mary and her sister Elizabeth, married well – young men of means; but they never supported the life Charlotte, the daughter of a peer (the 2nd Baron Walsingham) strove for in the early years of her marriage. Emma’s great aunt, Mrs Smith of Bersted Lodge, in her frequent interactions with the Royals – her twin sister, Lady Mayo, eventually served as Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Adelaide (1830-1837), enjoyed an intimacy with the likes of the Duchesses of Clarence, Kent, and Gloucester, Princess Augusta, and even attended parties at Carlton House. Emma has left an account of the presentation of her eldest sister Augusta in 1817. Mamma was magnificently dressed!

Although Mary and Charles made scant mention of Mary’s Aunt and Uncle Davison (Alexander Davison’s wife, Harriet Gosling, was her father William Gosling’s sister), the Davison children made frequent company.

So, doing a little belated work at seeing the London residence of the Davisons – No. 11 St James Square – after reading about the area in Hannah Greig’s excellent The Beau Monde, I was so excited to come across a little history of No. 11 in the section “LOOKING AT DRAWINGS” from the Sir John Soane Museum. Click the photo (a 2013 picture) to be taken away to St James Square, London:

Mrs Gregg of Bedford Square was Mary’s “Aunt Gregg,” sister of William Gosling.

Lady Frances Compton was the unmarried sister of Lord Northampton, called “Aunt Frances” by the Smiths of Suttons siblings.

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{newspaper} The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 6 Feb 1801

“Mrs. Drummond Smith’s parties, during the fashionable season, will be given in the same stile they were last year.…Mrs. Gosling had a large party of fashionable visitants at her house a few days ago in Portland-place.”

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The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 14 Feb 1801

“Mr. and Mrs. Davison have returned to town for the residue of the winter. Mrs. Davison’s fashionable parties are expected to commence in the course of a fortnight.”

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The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 18 Feb 1801

among the attendees at the Marchioness of Salisbury’s Rout, among Mistresses: Drummond Smith

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The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 24 Feb 1801

“Mrs. Drummond Smith’s parties commence early in next month, at her magnificent house in Piccadilly.”

… “Mrs. Gosling’s Rout on Monday night, in Bloomsbury-square, was very respectably attended.”

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The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 2 Mar 1801

“FASHIONABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE WEEK.

Friday.

Mrs. Drummond Smith’s Rout, Piccadilly”

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The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 4 Mar 1801

at Mrs. Vaughan’s Rout (Monday evening, Manchester-square) “attended by upwards of three hundred personages of distinction”: both Drummond and Mrs Drummond Smith

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The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 6 Mar 1801

“Mrs. Drummond Smith will entertain a small party of friends, this evening, at her elegant house in Piccadilly.”

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The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 14 Mar 1801

at the Countess of Mansfield’s Rout (her “first assembly since her marriage”) {the house a “noble and spacious family mansion, in the centre of Portland-place; the house having previously undergone improvements in the first style of elegance”} “near 500” attend: among them Lady Cunliffe, Lord Walsingham; also Lady Wingfield, Lady Sey and Sele [sic], Mistress Drummond Smith, Mistress Fremantle.

same issue: “Mrs. Drummond Smith’s rout, last night, was attended by a very numerous party of distinguished friends.”

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The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 25 Mar 1801

notice is given of Mrs Methuen’s rout; among the “upwards of three hundred personnages of fashion” was Mrs William Gosling and Mrs Drummond Smith. Mr C. Smith may be Charles (“Papa”). Among the “Ladies” are Lady Cunliffe and Lady Frances Compton. At the top of the guest list: The Prince of Orange.

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The Morning Post & Gazetteer, 1 April 1801

“Mrs. Davison had a private ball on Friday evening in St. James’s-square, which commenced at ten o’clock, and broke up at one.”